Seeing Atlanta from a plane
Built where two railroads met, it now has the busiest airport in the world by passengers. Look for the dense tree canopy that earns it the name city in a forest, and three tower clusters: Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.
36 of our routes pass it. Georgia · rated 5 of 10
The easy pick
Nashville to Atlanta: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Baltimore to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Boston to Atlanta | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Charlotte to Phoenix | Left | 30 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Orlando | Left | 71 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Dallas to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Denver to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Detroit to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Houston to New York | Left | 83 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Houston to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Indianapolis to Orlando | Left | 52 min after takeoff |
| Indianapolis to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Miami to Chicago | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 73 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Minneapolis to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| Nashville to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| New York to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| New York to Atlanta | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Newark to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Orlando to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Philadelphia to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Raleigh/Durham to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Atlanta | Left | on the way down |
| San Juan to Atlanta | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| St. Louis to Orlando | Left | 55 min after takeoff |
| St. Louis to Atlanta | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Tampa to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 52 min after takeoff |
| Washington to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
| Washington to Atlanta | Right | on the way down |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Atlanta from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (20 of 36). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Atlanta from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Can you see Atlanta at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
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